By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema did not directly weigh in on the House of Representatives’ launch Tuesday of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, but Sen. Martha McSally said the Democrats’ efforts could backfire and give Republicans full control of Congress and the White House.
The impeachment inquiry announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stems from Trump allegedly exerting pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.
The GOP-controlled Senate agreed by unanimous consent Tuesday to pass a non-binding resolution in support of calling for the whistleblower’s complaint and a transcript of Trump’s phone call with the Ukraine president, to be sent immediately to intelligence committees.
Sinema, D-Ariz., did not explicitly say whether she supports or opposes the inquiry.
“I agree with my Republican and Democratic Senate colleagues that Congress must be given complete access to the whistleblower’s report and transcript as required by law,” Sinema said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. “Arizonans deserve a transparent and accountable government.”
McSally, R-Ariz., a Trump ally who faces voters in 2020, didn’t address Trump’s alleged conduct. Instead, she discussed the political repercussions of impeachment, saying an inquiry would be a “distraction” and that voters can make up their minds on Trump next year.
McSally made the comments to a Politico reporter Tuesday. A recording of that interview was provided to The Arizona Republic by McSally’s office.
